Catalyst Game Labs created the Shadowrun: Crossfire demo box to help get players into the game quickly and show off the mechanics of the deck-building system. They'll have the demo boxes with them at events like GenCon and PAX and will also be making them available to retailers.

From the announcement:

If you attended Origins you might have run into Rob Watkins, a member of the Crossfire design team, giving nonstop demos of the game. Rob was using a prototype of the Shadowrun: Crossfire Demo Box.

The Shadowrun: Crossfire Demo Box is a trial version of the game that’s perfect for learning the rules. We carefully picked out a subset of the full game that shows off Crossfire’s feel and mechanics in a small, elegant package. The demo box takes you through a shorter, tighter version of the “Caught in the Crossfire” mission included in the full game—it’s the quickest way for new players to learn how to play.

We’ll have more people demoing Shadowrun: Crossfire at Gen Con and PAX Prime, but that’s not all! In addition, we’ll be making demo boxes available to retail game stores across the country once Shadowrun: Crossfire launches.

Retailers: Once you see new soliciations for Shadowrun: Crossfire, don’t forget to indicate whether you’d like a copy of the demo box